Hello from Warsaw
Mayank
Chaturvedi.
I work in oncology clinical development at AstraZeneca, enjoy building practical AI tools for clinical trial workflows, and founded the Indian Community of Poland.
About
My story
I am a pharmacist by training from India, and my curiosity about the brain and complex systems led me to a PhD at the intersection of neuroscience and nanotechnology, at the Nencki Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. My doctoral dissertation was nominated by the institute for Poland's Prime Minister's Prize. I later continued my postdoctoral research in molecular oncology at the Kennedy Institute, University of Oxford.
I now work as a Global Development Scientist Director in AstraZeneca's Oncology R&D in Warsaw. Across my industry roles, I have worked in patient safety, clinical operations, clinical excellence and innovation, and now clinical development. A growing part of my focus is AI in clinical development, where I enjoy building practical tools, agents, and workflow automations that help my teams work with complex trial information more effectively.
Outside the day job, I founded the Indian Community of Poland in 2010, now connecting 60,000+ people across social channels.
I'm happiest when I'm learning something new, whether a new corner of science, a new AI tool, or a new country (40 and counting).
What I do
Clinical development in oncology
I moved into clinical trials in 2017, after a decade in academic research, and have since worked across patient safety, clinical operations, clinical excellence and innovation, and now clinical development. Three areas define my work:
Clinical Development
My work spans the full life of a late-phase oncology trial, from the Phase 3 investment decision through start-up, conduct, closeout, and submission, working across trial design, medical monitoring, medical data review, and study delivery. In simple words, I help translate science into a clinical strategy, so that new treatments reach patients.
AI in Clinical Trials
As an early adopter and super user, I am among the first to try new AI tools. And not just try: I build with them, creating agents, dashboards, and workflow automations using Claude Code, Cowork, Copilot Agents, and Domino for agentic workflows and deployment. The aim is to help teams work better.
Clinical Trial Improvement
In my Clinical Excellence and Innovation role, I worked on improving late-phase oncology studies through enterprise-level initiatives, cross-asset projects, and process improvements, for example reducing protocol amendments and developing templates for clinical documents such as informed consent forms. These were small changes at scale, improving many studies at once.
Before industry
Trained as a pharmacist in India, then more than 10 years in academic research: a PhD in neurobiology at the Nencki Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, and postdoctoral research in molecular oncology at the Kennedy Institute, University of Oxford. Along the way I published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at 25+ international conferences, and received several best-talk awards.
Credentials
Project Management Professional (PMP®). Professional Certificate in Strategic Management, Wharton Online. Advanced Project Management, University of Oxford. Google Cloud Generative AI Leader. Data Science Practitioner, Domino Data Lab. Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials, Johns Hopkins. Thinking Critically: Interpreting Randomized Clinical Trials, Stanford Online.
Highlights
Selected highlights
- 202301
Game Changers Competition, AstraZeneca Poland
Third prize for We Are One, a cultural diversity initiative.
- 202102
Warsaw at 30 Years Ideas Competition, AstraZeneca Poland
Winner.
- 202003
AstraZeneca CEO Award for Exceptional Delivery
As part of the Lynparza team.
- 201504
Mobility Plus postdoctoral grant
From the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, supporting research at the University of Oxford.
- 201405
Poland's Prime Minister's Prize nomination
Nominated by the Nencki Institute for best doctoral thesis.
- 201406
Best oral presentation, FEBS Young Scientist Forum
Paris, France.
- 2010–201407
PhD studentship, Preludium grant, and 14 international travel grants
PhD studentship from the Foundation for Polish Science, Preludium grant from the National Science Centre, and international travel grants during doctoral research.
Things I've built
Beyond my formal role
At work
AI in clinical trials
I have created multiple AI solutions and workflow automations that simplify complex clinical development tasks for my study teams. Through vibe coding and development in Python and VBA, I build and deploy these apps on Domino, turning repetitive or complex work into faster, clearer, and more usable solutions.
We Are One
I was one of the founders of a cultural-diversity Employee Resource Group (ERG) at AstraZeneca Poland. Through the ERG we promoted inclusion and diversity, with a focus on cultural diversity, and I led events with a footfall of several hundred colleagues, from festival celebrations to cultural showcases.
Outside work
Indian Community of Poland
↗Founded in 2010 and running ever since. The largest Indian community in Poland by reach, connecting 60,000+ people across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, and more. I lead a team of volunteers, and together we help Indians in Poland with the practical questions of everyday life.
Help in Poland
↗A service directory I built from scratch to help expats in Poland find English-speaking services: lawyers, accountants, movers, electricians, and other practical support. The idea came from the Indian Community of Poland, where I saw how hard finding trusted help can be, so I built it for every expat.
Drug Development Learning Portal
↗I built this portal to teach my mentees from the AstraZeneca Ambassador Program, and to organize almost a decade of clinical trials knowledge in one place. Three modules: how a drug travels from lab to market, the functions behind clinical trials, and what clinical development does in Phase III.
Beyond work
Other things about me
Travel and cultures
I enjoy learning, and not only about science, but also about different cultures and countries. That is why I love to travel, and it has taken me to 40+ countries across six continents. I made a short video about those journeys.
Emerging technology
I like being close to new technology early: smart glasses, VR headsets, 360 cameras, drones, EVs, and smart-home devices, usually trying them as soon as they arrive. I care less about the gadget itself than about what it makes possible in everyday life.
Languages
Hindi is my native language, English is my main professional language, and my Polish is still elementary but improving slowly. Enough to buy small things in a shop, definitely not yet enough for a debate.
Get in touch
Let's talk
I'd be happy to connect with fellow scientists and clinical development colleagues, with people in academia curious about how industry works, and with anyone exploring AI in clinical trials or beyond.
The fastest way to reach me is by email.